BAN CHAM KREM, Thailand – Royal Thai Navy medical personnel and hospital corpsmen with 3rd Medical Battalion led Royal Thai Marines and U.S. Marines with Combat Assault Battalion through drills in combat lifesaving skills as part of Exercise Cobra Gold 2012 here Feb 9.
Marines and sailors attached to Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, conducted the training alongside their Royal Thai military counterparts.
“The whole training evolution was a shared medical topic,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael W. Duffy, a CLS instructor for Exercise Cobra Gold 2012. “They have the same goal of health support but different techniques to achieve that goal. We incorporate Royal Thai Marines to show the difference between our corpsman coverage and medical that we provide to the combat element compared to their combat element.”
The three-day training event was designed to teach more than 150 Royal Thai Marines combat life saving skills.
The TCCC course allowed the service members to perform the combat life saving skills in a simulated, fast-paced combat environment. The training groups were organized into two blended teams of Royal Thai Marines and U.S. Marines who competed to see which group could finish the drills correctly within the allotted time and save their fallen comrade.
“With all the cooperation we have with each other we can see the success of this event,” said Duffy. “It was give and take on both ends.” They gave to us and we gave to them he added.
Exercise Cobra Gold demonstrates the longstanding commitment between the U.S. and the Kingdom of Thailand. During the 31st iteration of the exercise, Marines and sailors, continue to strengthen that bond.
“I think it’s good and we have to continue (this training) in years after this,” said Puthaparn. “It’s a very good opportunity to join together with the U.S. and Royal Thai military. We can learn from each other, we can work together, we can be partners.”
Cobra Gold is a recurring multinational and multi-service exercise hosted by the Royal Kingdom of Thailand designed to advance regional security by exercising a multinational force from nations sharing common goals and security commitments in the Asia-Pacific region.